Brightness from obscurity.
That is one approach to think about what we have learned from the COVID-19
pandemic. As dark a time that has been in the world, we have learned a
lot; some of which is not new knowledge, but profound and will be used
to make health better. COVID-19 showed in stark reality that inequities
and disparities in care are prominent and pervasive. These disparities
are embarrassing as a society and require systematic, intentional strategies
to address. No profession is more apt for leading this change than the
Quality profession.
Leveraging multiple quality competencies of measurement, data analytics,
performance improvement, leadership, change management and population
health, our organization, Meritus Health, sought to provide frictionless
access to COVID-19 testing through the implementation of a Drive-Thru
COVID-19 testing center. As our article shows, this approach largely resulted
in representative testing of the population by race and ethnicity - that
is, no disparities in care by race/ethnicity for access to COVID-19 testing.
We believe that frictionless access which did not require payment, a doctor's
note, or symptoms made a difference in health equity. We provide additional
details and learnings in the article. More work needs to be done and quality
will lead the way.
Brightness from obscurity.FEATURED IN: NAHQAUTHORS: Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H., Ethan Feldmiller, MHA, Lynnae Messner, CPhT, Sridhar
Rao Gona, MS, MHA
PUBLICATION DATE: Dec. 14, 2022
FEATURED IN:NURSELEADER.COMAUTHORS: MELANIE M. HEUSTON, D.N.P., RN, NEA-BC, CAROL GROVE, M.S.N., RN, NEA-BC AND SARAH HARNE-BRITNER, D.N.P., RN,
ACNS-BC, NEA-BC and Bonnie Artman Fox, M.S., LMFT
PUBLICATION DATE: Feb. 10, 2021
FEATURED IN: American Journal of Nursing
AUTHORS: Stephanie Ann Ocker, B.S.N., RN-BC, Sandra A. Barton, M.S., RN-BC, Norma
Bollinger, M.S.N., RN, Cynthia A. Leaver, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP,
Sarah Harne-Britner, D.N.P., RN, ACNS-BC, NEA-BC, and Melanie M. Heuston,
D.N.P., RN, NEA-BC
PUBLICATION DATE: July 2020
